Differences in opinion, miscommunication, resentment, misunderstanding, differing goals, different priorities, lack of transparency, hunger, sleeplessness, you name it- the list of factors that can cause conflict between two people are nearly endless.
Lucky for you there is a shorthand solution to resolving these little conflicts (and preventing them in the future). Can you guess it?
That's right - with DISC! This handy dandy research-validated approach to understanding and demystifying personality and why people do what they do serves as an excellent basis for conflict resolution.
How Each DISC Style Can Communicate Effectively to Reduce Conflict
When Communicating with a High "D" Style:
Be brief, direct, and to the point. Ask “what” not “how” questions. Discuss things in terms of how they will affect accomplishments.
When Communicating with a High "I" Style:
Build a favorable, friendly environment. Give them the opportunity to verbalize their ideas and thoughts. Assist them in developing ways to transfer talk into action. Allot time for stimulating social activities.
When Communicating with a High "S" Style:
Create a friendly, favorable environment. Express a genuine interest in them as a person. Provide clarification for tasks and answers to “how” questions. Present ideas in a non-threatening fashion.
When Communicating with a High "C" Style:
Prepare your case in advance. Establish the fact-based pros and cons of proposed ideas. Support statements with accurate data. Be patient and diplomatic.
The key to conflict resolution is understanding and communication. Once you can understand where another person is coming from, you can begin to find common ground. If you can use this empathy and desire to compromise in conjunction with an ability to speak each other’s DISC language, you are back on track toward harmony and peace.
DISC helps us to understand why a person does the things that they do, and how they want to be spoken to. Armed with this knowledge, you can resolve and prevent interpersonal conflicts like a champ.
